Tiltable roll transfer ramp



1960 A. F. GROLL 2,947,402

TILTABLE ROLL mmsma RAMP Filed July 22, 1957 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [U111], 11 00am A INVENTOR.

ALVIN F GROLL.

Aug. 2, 1960 Filed July 22, 1957 A. F. GROLL TIL'I'ABLE ROLL TRANSFER RAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY ALVIN F. GROLL ATTORNEYS United States Patent C TILTABLE ROLL TRANSFER RAMP Alvin F. Groll, Box 347, Napoleon, Ohio Filed July 22, 1957, Ser. No. 673,288

Claims. (Cl. 193-40) This invention relates to material handling equipment and in particularly to means for temporarily storing and moving rolls of sheet metal into position in the uncoiling mechanism that feeds the sheet metal to a punch press or similar piece of equipment.

Sheet metal, usually steel, from which small machine parts are cut or punched is usually supplied to the punch press from a large coil of such sheet metal. Such coils in larger sizes may weigh as much as 15,000 to 20,000 pounds each. It is furthermore necessary in many operations that a fresh coil be immediately available for feeding into the punch press or other consuming device as quickly as possible after the previous coil has been exhausted. Since the coils may be very heavy, it is desirable that simple reliable power equipment be available for moving the new coils into position from adjacent storage racks. This is usually accomplished by providing an inclined ramp leading to the coil unreeling apparatus and providing detents or other latch mechanism to control the rolling of the coil down the ramp. Because of the great weight of the coils and the danger of damaging the edges of the strip stock in rolling against the guides these ramp devices must be constructed with great accuracy and great ruggedness.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple storage ramp that may be easily loaded either by overhead cranes or by fork trucks or similar equipment and in which the roll of sheet metal is accurately guided and held by simple rugged equipment not liable to failure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tiltable ramp for feeding coils of sheet metal into a processing station.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a tiltable ramp an automatically actuated detent arm that is automatically brought into position for holding a coil of sheet metal until such coil is to be released and moved onto the next station by tilting the ramp.

Another object of theinvention is to. provide an automatic detent in a tilting ramp that is actuated solely by the operation of tilting the ramp to move the coil of metal.

More specific objects and advantages may be obtained from a tiltable transfer ramp constructed according to the invention. 7 According to the invention, the improved transfer ramp comprises a table that may be tilted through an angle sufficient to cause the coil of metal to roll by gravity on the table and a pivoted arm mounted to protrude through a slot in the table top and rocked by movement of the table top relative to its base so as to be projected into coil stopping position when the table is substantially level and be withdrawn from such coil stopping position when the table is tilted.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure I is a perspective view with parts broken away to show the improved ramp in a partially tilted position.

Figure 11 is a vertical section of the improved ramp and coil holding arm in the storage position with the table substantially level.

Figure IE is a similar vertical section showing the table in its fully inclined position to discharge a coil of sheet metal to the processing station.

These specific figures and the accompanying description are intended merely to illustrate the invention and not to impose limitations upon its scope.

The improved apparatus for temporarily storing and transferring coils of sheet metal comprises a tiltable ramp table 1 having guide rails 2, one of which is shown, for guiding rolls of strip stock as they roll across the table. The table is pivoted on hinges 3 from a base 4 that also provides support for a hydraulic cylinder 5 which is connected through its piston rod 6 and link 7 to central rails 8 on the lower side of the table 1. When a roll of strip stock 10 is put in place on the table 1 between the side rails 2 it tends to roll toward the hinged end of the table 1 because of a slight incline in that direction provided at the normal rest position of the table. This incline is to insure that the rolls will not accidentally roll toward the front end of the table, that is, the end over the hydraulic cylinder 5.

The travel of the roll of strip stock 10 toward the rear end of the table, the hinged end, is arrested by a bent arm :11 that is pivoted on a pin 12 in the table 1 and that bears midway its length on a roller 13 journaled in the base 4 at such a position that an upwardly inclined end 14 of the arm 11 extends up through'a slot 15 in the table *1 in position to engage the roll of strip stock 10 when the center of gravity of the roll is approximately over the roller 13. The table 1 is shown in partly tilted position in Figure I and is shown in its normal or rest position in Figure II.

In the rest or storage position, as illustrated in Figure II, the table 1 has an inclination from right to left of approximately one degree so that the roll of strip stock 10 will tend to roll to the left across the table. This motion is arrested when the roll hits the upturned end 14 of the arm 11. The upturned end has an inclination of about 20 degrees relative to the substantially horizontal portion of the arm, that is, the portion between the pivot pin 12 and the roller 13. As long as the roll 10 strikes the upturned arm 14 when its center of gravity is substantially over the roller 13 there is suflicient downward force on the table 1 to hold pivot point 12 down and prevent the arm 11 from rocking on the roller 13. Thus, the roll of strip stock is arrested in the position shown and held there in readiness to be moved into the uncoiling station as soon as the previous roll has been exhausted.

--When it is desired to move the roll of strip, stock 011 the table 1 and into the uncoiling mechanism hydraulic pressure is admitted to the hydraulic cylinder 5 under its piston 16 so as to push upwardly on the front end of the table 1. This tilts the table to an increased inclination and as the pivot pin 12 on which the arm 11 is pivoted rises with the table relative to the roller 13 the arm 11 pivots counterclockwise to drop its upwardly inclined end 14 through the slot 15 and thus release the roll of strip stock 10 and allow it to roll downwardly to the back of the table 1 and across a short section 17 of the base 4 that is raised to the same level as the table 1.

As soon as the roll of material has passed beyond the hinge pin 3 the pressure may be released from the hydranlic cylinder 5 and the table allowed to resume its normal horizontal position. As the table drops to its generally horizontal position the arm 11, hearing on the roller 13, has its end 14 forced upwardly through the slot intoposition to catch or detent the next roll of strip stock that is to be loaded onto the rarnpor table 1.

The proportioning of the arm 11 and the positioning of the roller 13 with respect to the hinge pin 3 and pivot is somewhat critical. While theoretically the center of gravity of the rollcould move to-a position two-thirds of the distance from the roller 13 to the hinge pin 3 when the upstanding arm- 1-4 has a slope of as-con'lparcdto1 for the table 1 the condition is dangerous because any further movement of the roll drives the arm 11 downwardly because of the increased leverage and such downward'motion. by decreasing'the angle of the arm and tilting the. table by force applied through the pivot pin 12 increases the inclination of: thetable and, accelerates the movement of the roll of strip stock 10 toward the back side of the table. There-- fore, for safety: reasons to prevent any unintentional releasing of a roll of strip stock, the end of the arm14; should be proportioned toengage a roll of strip stock, when the table is level, at a position such thatthe center of gravity of the roll of stock is generally oven the roller: 13.

The base 4 is advantageously constructed'of apair of: I -beams 18 and 19 forming the side rails or side portions of the base and channel irons 20 and 21 connect ing' the side rails at the ends. The hydraulic cylinder 5 -is preferably provided with a flange 22 that rests in a recesssurrounding a circular hole cut in a plate23 that extends between the I-beams 18 and 19 and is supported on gusset plates 24 and 25 weldedinplace between the flanges of the I beams and the plate 23.

The guide rails 2 are adjustable for diiierences in rollwidth and. are held in place by bolts passing through or. threaded into holes. 26 in the table top. To allow adjustment of spacing in amounts less than the spacingof? the holes in the table, 1 the guide rails 2 have their bases slottedwith the length of the slots corresponding tothe distance betweenadjacent holes. Thus, by selecting proper ones of the bolt holes 26 and the proper position of the bolts in the slots, the guide rail 2 may be adjusted to any desired position.

By. operating the detent arm 11 by the motion of the tilting table 1 in cooperation with the roller 13, the positiming of the arm 11 is very reliable and positive in itscontrolof the rolls of strip stock. It is likewise a very: simple construction to manufacture and requires practically no servicing.

Thisstructure thus provides, with a minimum number of: parts, a reliable detenting arrangement for holding rolls: of strip stock in storage position on the tilting table and of releasing such rolls as the table is-tilted to feed the-rolls-to the next station.

Various modifications may be made in the details of construction of the various portions of the improved tilting table storage and feeding device without departing-from the spirit and scopeof theinvention. I

I claim: Y 1.. *In: a1 ramp. for storing coils of sheet material in position to be gravity fed to a processing station, in combination, abase, a ramp table hinged to the base along a side of the table, said table serving as the sole support for a stored coil, said table having a slot in its surface extending perpendicular to the hinged side, means for arresting the stored coil at a particular position, said means comprising an arm having a bend intermediate its ends and having'an end pivoted to the table remote from said hinged side and extending toward the hinged side in position toswing through theslot, means for tilting the table to discharge rolls of material therefrom, and a roller mounted in said base generally below said particular position to-engage said. arm near the bend therein to drive the arm through the slot as the table approaches a levelcondition.

2. In a ramp for storing coils of sheet material in position to be gravity fed to a processing station, in combination, a base, a ramp table hinged to the base along a side, of the table, said tablehaving a slot in its surface extending perpendicularly to the hinged side, means for arresting a stored coil at a particular position on said table, said means comprising an arm having an end pivoted to said table at the end of the slot remote from the hinged side and adapted to swing through the slot, means for tilting the table to discharge rolls of material, and means mounted in the base and engaging said" armtgenerally below said particular position adapted to swing the arm upwardly through the slot as the table approaches a horizontal position.

3. In a ramp for storing coils of sheet material in position to be gravity fed to a processing station, incombination, a base, a ramp table hinged to the base along an edge thereof, means for tilting the table to discharge material therefrom, a slot in the table top extending perpendicular to the hinged side and parallel to the path of material across the table, and means for arresting rolls of material, said means comprising an arm pivotally connectedto theunderside of the table at the end of the slot remote from the hinged side of thetable in position to swing through the slot, and. means mounted in the base adapted to engage said arm at a point directly below the storage position of a roll of material on the table and adapted to drive said arm upwardlyinto material engaging position as the table approaches a horizontal position.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 in which the free end of the arm is bent upwardly from its point of engagement with the arm engaging means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 which includes a double acting power cylinder for tilting the ramp table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 845,152 Weir Feb. 26, 1907 1,927,847 Resser Sept. 26, 1933 2,737,306 Wiig Mar. 6, 1956 

